Khaberni - The National Council for Childhood and Motherhood in Egypt announced that it has filed an official report to the investigative authorities against the program "BingeCircle" broadcast on social media, following the detection of a promotional advertisement for one of its episodes, which includes hosting a boy and a girl in a format that mimics dating shows designed for adults.
The council, in an official statement, clarified that it has followed with great concern the promotional advertisements for the episode to be aired, which shows two children in a production style based on the idea of "dating," something considered a dangerous departure from the professional and ethical standards associated with children's content.
Dr. Sahar Al-Sanbati, president of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, reaffirmed that using the term "dating" and linking it to children, along with placing them in a media format originally intended for adults, is a concerning trend that contributes to normalizing social concepts that are inappropriate for their ages.
She emphasized that the danger does not stop at the nature of the apparent dialogue, even if presented in an entertaining or satirical frame, but resides in the idea and overall context in which the children are presented.
Sanbati added that this type of content exploits the innocence of children to achieve high viewership ratings and create a "trend" under the name of dating, which explicitly contradicts the principle of the best interest of the child, and may lead to encouraging uncontrolled behaviors among children imitating what is shown to them.
In this context, the council's president directed the General Prosecution, represented in the office for the protection of children and persons with disabilities and the elderly attached to the office of the Attorney General, as well as the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, to take the necessary legal actions concerning the incident.
It is worth mentioning that the program "BingeCircle" is based on placing participants inside a circle to engage in mutual dialogue without initially knowing the real appearance of the other party, a common format in adult dating shows.
The inclusion of children within this context has spurred a wide wave of criticism, where a large number of social media users expressed their displeasure with the promotional advert for the episode, considering the involvement of children in content fundamentally based on the idea of dating to be an unacceptable transgression, even if it was presented in a reduced or theatrical manner, due to the contexts it may impose which are not suitable for the age or innocence of the children.
